Mixed Messages
by EffieAgo
Summary: "It's about the choices you make. Do you want to be the kind of person who steals? The kind of person who lies and cheats their way through life?" Meredith's parenting style vs. Yondu's


Peter is fascinated by the night market. It's not even a very good market as far as Kraglin's concerned but it keeps the boy occupied. So far they've had to stop and look at cleaning supplies, gaudy Krylorian furniture and giant jars of pickled vegetables as well as an admittedly cool display of knives. Of course he resents being stuck with the brat as much as he is, but it's starting to become just another less-than-ideal part of his life with the Ravagers, like the scrubbing and the bad food. The kid following him around had come as a bit of a surprise at first; none of the other children they had ferried across the galaxy paid much attention to him but the little Terran with no translator chip had latched onto him right away. He knew it had to be some combination of their species' looking similar enough and Kraglin's age but a (very) small part of him had been flattered. Although that was before the Terran's presence on board became permanent. There have been some unexpected benefits, however. Not so long ago he doubted anyone of importance on the _Eclector_ even knew who he was, not really, and now here he was spending a planet-side visit walking around with Captain Udonta (and a certain pint-sized menace, but still). Not that said captain is particularly good company. As usual, he's stomping around with a general air of moodiness. Kraglin is just now getting to the point where he can usually tell what is a genuinely bad mood and what's just… Yondu. And yet, the captain knows his name now and seems to tolerate him so that's-

His thoughts are interrupted by a garbled curse and a yelp. He turns to find their imposing leader locked in a glare with a tiny Terran. "Boy! What'd I tell you about stoppin' right in front a' me?"

"Whatever! You're the one who ran into me, jerk!"

The novelty of witnessing a child get away with the kind of lip that would earn a crew-member, client or basically anyone else an arrow hole or a trip through the airlock has worn off. Completely.

Kraglin grabs Peter's arm and yanks him out of Yondu's face. The brat is lucky they're on a semi-reputable planet and that the captain has to stick around long enough to meet some people about a job. It's just about practicality. A child has to be handled carefully or he could get them imprisoned or killed. Besides that, there's nothing different or, ugh, _special_ in the way Yondu treats Peter. Definitely not. Kraglin's sure of it. "Hey! Apologize to the captain."

"No way, you don't get to tell me what to do! Let me go!" They're starting to get stares and a few dirty looks from the braver bystanders.

Kraglin loosens his grip a bit. "Look here, kid-"

Yondu sighs. "Let him go." The little punk shakes off Kraglin's hand with a smug look in his direction.

"Look, boy, we're here to work. You can't keep gettin' in the way. You're a Ravager, right? Act like one." It comes out in a growl.

Peter has the decency to look cowed. "Yeah, OK, Yondu." There's a flick to the ear from Kraglin. "I mean, Captain."

Yondu looks around at the crowded market and then motions the other two toward the mouth of the nearest alley. "Why don't we give you something to do, huh? How about a little mission?"

The boy lights up. "Really? You said I wasn't ready!"

"You've been working on thievin' with Krag- Krag-whatever here, right?" OK, so the captain knows most of his name.

"Uh, yes, Cap'n." On the ship, in a controlled environment. The boy did seem to have a bit of a talent for pickpocketing and snatching things, but he hadn't tried for real yet and he still made clumsy mistakes half the time.

"Alright, so you have 'til dawn to grab me a cute lil trinket and get it back to the ship."

"Um, OK."

"Be clever about it, Quill. You get caught and you're on your own. We ain't comin' back for you."

"Yes, Captain." Peter looks downright nervous now. This doesn't bode well. But he scampers off without any protest.

Yondu turns to Kraglin and pokes him in the chest with a stubby blue finger. "You. Keep an eye on him. He gets arrested and you'll wish you were too."

Kraglin fights a feeling of dread that washes over him. "Understood, boss." But Yondu has already disappeared into the crowd.

 _They're walking through the little grocery store near the bank where Meredith works. Peter looks disinterestedly at the familiar food packages on the shelves. It's only when they reach the end display that he sees something that catches his eye. He points to the colorful array of candy. "Mom! Can I have one, please!"_

 _Meredith shakes her head. "Not this time, honey. We have cookies at home and you're going to a birthday party tomorrow. I think that's enough sweets."_

" _Oh, OK," Peter says glumly as his mom turns left toward the dairy section. He stands there for a minute then grabs a chocolate bar and shoves it in his pocket._

Well, Kraglin needn't have worried. It takes him longer than he expected to locate Peter but by the time he does the kid had got to a section of the market crammed with vendors selling all kinds of toys and games. The boy blends in with all the shrieking brats and their parents, over-sized leather jacket and all. He watches from the shadows as the boy approaches a stall where the green, scaly shopkeeper is busy with customers. Peter surveys the environment like he was taught. He snatches a small plastic bauble then flees toward the direction they'd come from.

Kraglin follows absentmindedly. The boy seems to know where he's going. He wonders if there's time to grab a drink before meeting back up with Yondu and the others.

And then Peter stops and doubles back. What the…? The crowd is still dense enough that Kraglin goes unnoticed so, cussing to himself, he turns around and follows.

 _Meredith crouches in front of Peter in the carpark. Tears are streaming down his face. "Look, baby, I know you're sorry, but stealing is serious."_

 _"I know, b-but it's just candy."_

 _"It doesn't matter what it is. It's about the choices you make. Do you want to be the kind of person who steals? The kind of person who lies and cheats their way through life?"_

 _"No!" He's crying again._

 _Meredith sighs. She hands Peter back the chocolate bar. "I know you don't, honey, so let's go back in and apologize to_ _Mrs Harris, OK?"_

Kraglin is fighting his way through the stream of shoppers and wondering just what the hell the kid is up to when a blue hand grabs him by the shoulder.

"There you are! Where's the boy?"

He points. Peter is at the same stall as before but this time he walks up to the counter. He stands on his tiptoes to give himself more height, stretches out his arm and opens up his palm to reveal a small figurine of a snake-like creature with sparkly antlers. "I'm- I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken it."

The shopkeeper looks from the pilfered toy to the flame patch on the boy's jacket to the horrified expressions on the faces of two older Ravagers. She decides it's in her best interest not to laugh. "Uh, thanks, but you can keep it."

The boy shakes his head and sets the toy on the counter top. "No, stealing is wrong."

She takes it this time and quickly turns around to finish some sorting that suddenly needs to be done urgently.

 _Do you want to be the kind of person who steals? The kind of person who lies and cheats their way through life? The kind of person who double-crosses clients when a better opportunity comes up? The kind of person who murders someone for backtalking? Or for being Kree and looking at them wrong?_

 _The kind of person who stops less-friendly crew-members from killing and/or eating obnoxious Terrans. Who tells the tailor that, yes, the jacket should have a patch on it, why wouldn't it? The kind of person who pries your Walkman from your fingers and gives it back with a new rechargeable battery._

It's a grim procession that makes its way back to the dock. To Kraglin's, and probably Peter's, surprise there hasn't been any yelling or hitting, though maybe that's waiting for when they're back on the ship. Mostly Yondu has been glaring at the ground as they walk. Probably trying to think of what to do with the kid, Kraglin decides. Find an orphanage that'll take him? Cook him for dinner? Deposit him at the door of the nearest Nova Corps recruitment office?

It makes for an uncomfortable walk, though, so he chooses to risk being impertinent and asks about the real reason they came to this planet. "So, Cap'n, how'd that there meeting go?"

The captain looks at him for a moment before answering. "Hmm, not so bad. Got us a job with an easy payout. We just need to break into some corporation on Calurnia and put this here chip into their data system and-" Yondu, who had been fishing around in the pocket of his overcoat, pulls out an empty hand and glares over to where the boy had been walking. _"Quill!"_

The boy isn't there. Instead, he's some distance ahead of them and when he turns around he's grinning and waving something small and metallic over his head.

Kraglin gets one look at Yondu before the captain sprints after the culprit. Annoyance flashes on his face. And something else. Pride? _Nah._

But who knows? Maybe the brat will make a Ravager after all.


End file.
